Biography: Jeremy Stoppelman

The Life Story of Jeremy Stoppelman

How many times have you based your decision on buying a product or service on Yelp reviews? Or how many times have you chosen a restaurant based on what Yelp told you?

Taking a leap of faith usually requires a lot of grit, so having a reliable place to read some advice can be a game-changer. One of the most important people that made that happen is Jeremy Stoppelman.

Known as the co-founder and CEO of Yelp, Stoppelman is a big “Yelper” himself, reviewing under the name of “Big Papa.” He is the man who revolutionized online reviewing and collaborated with many great minds from Silicon Valley.

His ideas made him a multi-millionaire that helped millions of people find trustworthy establishments.

Early Life and Education

Jeremy Stoppelman was born on the 10^th of November 1977, in the city of Arlington, Virginia. His parents are John and Lyn Stoppelman, who worked as a security attorney and English teacher respectively.

Stoppelman spent most of his childhood in his birthplace, together with his brothers Andy and Michael.

Stoppelman was raised in a traditional Jewish-American home, sharing their beliefs as he grew up. For his early education, he went to Langley High School, along with a Reform temple. There, he continued the traditions of his household.

That being said, Stoppelman had some less traditional interests as well. From a young age, he developed a keen interest in the stock exchange.

By 14, he was already the owner of his own stocks. Around this time, his interest in computer programming also began to increase.

His aspirations of becoming a video game developer grew strongly from that point on. Because of those aspirations, he took programming classes while he was still in high school.

He learned how to work with the Turbo Pascal Programming system, which set him up well for college.

Once he graduated from high school, he enrolled at the Urbana-Champaign University of Illinois. In 1999, he graduated as the proud owner of a computer engineering bachelor’s degree.

“Focusing on that one review you feel is unfair misses the value, which is the whole symphony of opinions you get on your page.” ~ Jeremy Stoppelman

Beginnings in the Tech World

When Stoppelman stepped out of university, he got involved with various ventures. His first job was at @Home Network, where he would hold a computer engineering position.

He only kept that position for about 4 months when he got a job at X.com as an engineer. Later, that company became what we know today as PayPal.

It was during his time at PayPal that Stoppelman met Max Levchin, a businessman who would later become an investor at his company, Yelp. Meanwhile, Stoppelman became the Engineering V.P. of PayPal. He was one of the first employees at the company, which was often referred to as the “PayPal Mafia.”

In 2003, after PayPal was acquired by eBay, Stoppelman left the company and began attending Harvard Business School. He would only be there for a year, as Levchin approached him during school break and convinced him to do an internship at MRL Ventures.

“There’s been resistance to every new technology that’s ever been introduced. When books came out hundreds of years ago, there were complaints that it would destroy the oral tradition. Some of those fears were justified, but it didn’t stop the rise of the written word. And books have proven to be incredibly useful.” ~ Jeremy Stoppelman

Yelp: The Conceptualization

During the summer of 2004, Stoppelman found himself down with the flu and began searching for a local doctor. There, he realized how difficult it was to find some recommendations for one.

Together with one of his former colleagues at PayPal, he started to think of ways to put together an online platform, where people could find recommendations.

The idea kept taking better shape in their head, but there was only one problem: they had the knowledge but did not have the money to set the business in motion.

Therefore, they decided to pitch this idea to Levchin as well. Levchin was intrigued, which is why he gave them $1 million for the initial funding.

Yelp: Building the Company

Using the funds from Levchin, Stoppelman, and his partners managed to release Yelp in 2010. The company was a great success. Users not only found it useful, but it also gave businesses access to advertisements that were not originally available to them.

However, the building of the company was not as smooth as it would seem, and its success began standing on shaky grounds.

In 2005, Yelp formed a partnership with Google. Yelp allowed Google to access some of the Yelp reviews, in exchange for Yelp receiving some traffic from Google. In the end, however, only about 5% of the traffic that Yelp got was from Google.

It appeared that rather than helping Yelp gain more users, Google was using Yelp reviews to gain more users instead.

A battle with Google emerged, with Stoppelman accusing Google of content theft and Google denying those claims.

Things did not change for Yelp later on, with Google continuously pushing them back. Eventually, in 2016, Yelp had to pull its services out of Europe.

Google even made an offer to buy the company, but they eventually turned down the offer. This would be a decisive moment for the company’s success, even though things looked rather bleak right then.

“Consumers are empowered by Yelp and tools like it: before, when they had a bad experience, they didn’t have much recourse. They could fume, but often nothing else other than tell their friends.” ~ Jeremy Stoppelman

Yelp: Going Public

After the disaster with Google, Stoppelman decided to go public in 2020. The company filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission of the United States in 2020, having an initial IPO of up to $100 million.

Stoppelman still owns 11% of his company, from which he earns interest.

That being said, with multiple business owners suing reviewers for leaving negative reviews, Yelp stocks began taking a hit. The competition was also strong, as Yelp was battling Angie’s List for market dominance.

Yelp: Achievements and Accolades

Stoppelman’s most notable accomplishment is the fact that he laid the grounds for a multimillion-dollar company.

While the company only had about 30 employees in 2010, its annual revenue was somewhere around $30 million.

Stoppelman was also listed as one of the “Most Creative People in Business Community” by Fast Company. Fortune also named him in 2013 as one of their “40 under 40.”

“I think my dad did legal work for someone who had a Packard Bell 8088, and they couldn’t pay him, so they gave him a computer. I was initially not allowed to touch it, but that didn’t last long. I started tinkering with it, and there were many times I screwed up the computer.” ~ Jeremy Stoppelman

Personal Life

Stoppelman is the type of man who likes to keep his private life concealed from the media. It is known that he is married, but the identity of his wife is yet unknown.

The only reason that people know he is married is that he wears a wedding band.

He is also an avid non-fiction reader, along with a “yelper” as well. He often posts reviews under the name of “Big Papa.”

He also founded the Yelp Foundation in 2011, a charitable arm of Yelp that aims to help local communities gain access to information and communication.

Lessons and Legacy

Stoppelman created a great legacy, not only through his ventures but also through his management style. Rather than sitting in an office, he prefers working alongside his employees, showing significant involvement.

During his spat with Google, he also showed that caving into pressure is not always the answer.

He had the opportunity to sell to Google, which would have earned him a lot of money at that time. However, he held his ground and began crafting a better path.

In the end, Yelp became worth more than what Google could have provided. In 2023, Yelp reached a market capitalization of about $2.4 billion and more than 244 million reviews.

“Yelp is in a very nice spot: local data, and especially review data, is one of the killer apps on mobile phones.” ~ Jeremy Stoppelman

Conclusion

Throughout his life, Jeremy Stoppelman helped many online viewers gain access to good recommendations.

While his career is far from over, Yelp has become a reliable place where people can look for information and we should thank Jeremy Stoppelman for that.

Key Points

Jeremy Stoppelman: Co-founder and CEO of Yelp.
Influence: Revolutionized online reviewing and became a millionaire by aiding users in finding trustworthy establishments.
Early Life: Born in Arlington, Virginia on November 10, 1977. Parents are John (security attorney) and Lyn (English teacher). Raised in a Jewish-American home, attended Langley High School and showed an early interest in stock exchange and computer programming.
Education: Graduated with a computer engineering bachelor’s degree from Urbana-Champaign University of Illinois in 1999.
Professional Journey:
- Initial job at @Home Network.
- Worked at X.com, which later became PayPal. Met Max Levchin at PayPal.
- After PayPal’s acquisition by eBay in 2003, he attended Harvard Business School but left for an internship at MRL Ventures upon Levchin’s recommendation.
Yelp’s Inception:
- Idea conceived in 2004 when Stoppelman struggled to find doctor recommendations.
- Received $1 million from Levchin for initial funding.
Yelp’s Journey:
- Launched in 2010, faced challenges with Google over content theft allegations.
- Yelp pulled out of Europe in 2016 due to Google’s competition.
- Went public in 2020 with an initial IPO of up to $100 million.
Accolades: Stoppelman’s achievements include creating a multimillion-dollar company with an annual revenue of $30 million as of 2010. Recognized by Fast Company and Fortune.
Personal: Prefers to keep his personal life private. Known to be married and an avid non-fiction reader. Founded the Yelp Foundation in 2011.
Legacy: Yelp’s market capitalization reached $2.4 billion in 2023 with over 244 million reviews.

“There are so many businesses that are succeeding on Yelp that don’t pay us a dollar, and we’re really excited about that.” ~ Jeremy Stoppelman

Jeremy Stoppelman

1977:

Jeremy Stoppelman was born on November 10th in Arlington, Virginia.

Early 1990s:

Around the age of 14, Stoppelman owned his own stocks and started to show interest in computer programming.

Late 1990s:

Stoppelman attended programming classes in high school and learned how to work with the Turbo Pascal Programming system.

1999:

Stoppelman graduated from Urbana-Champaign University of Illinois with a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering.

Early 2000s:

Stoppelman worked at @Home Network for around 4 months.
He then started working at X.com, which later became PayPal.
During his tenure at PayPal, Stoppelman met Max Levchin and became the Engineering V.P. of PayPal.

2003:

PayPal was acquired by eBay.
After the acquisition, Stoppelman left PayPal and began attending Harvard Business School.
Stoppelman was convinced by Levchin to do an internship at MRL Ventures.

2004:

During the summer, Stoppelman came up with the idea for Yelp while searching for a doctor.
Levchin provided $1 million in initial funding for Yelp.

2010:

Yelp was officially launched.
The company had around 30 employees with an annual revenue of approximately $30 million.

2011:

Stoppelman founded the Yelp Foundation.

2013:

Fortune named Stoppelman as one of their “40 under 40.”

2016:

Yelp pulled its services out of Europe due to continuous challenges with Google.

2020:

Yelp decided to go public, filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission of the United States. The initial IPO was up to $100 million.

2023:

Yelp reached a market capitalization of approximately $2.4 billion with more than 244 million reviews.

Throughout these years, Jeremy Stoppelman revolutionized online reviewing, established a successful company in the face of significant challenges, and demonstrated resilience and determination in his professional journey.

Life Lessons

From the story of Jeremy Stoppelman, we can derive several life lessons:

The Power of Curiosity: From his early interest in the stock exchange to computer programming, Stoppelman’s inquisitiveness shaped his career path. It shows that nurturing one’s natural curiosity can lead to significant achievements.
Valuing Education and Adaptability: Jeremy’s journey from computer engineering to Harvard Business School reflects the value of multidisciplinary education and the ability to adapt and grow with time.
Building on Opportunities: From his time at PayPal to creating Yelp, Stoppelman’s career demonstrates how seizing opportunities and capitalizing on connections (like meeting Max Levchin) can pave the way for greater endeavors.
Solving Real-world Problems: The inception of Yelp arose from a personal need. Stoppelman’s experience underscores the potential of solving problems one personally encounters, showing that personal challenges can lead to universal solutions.
Perseverance in the Face of Adversity: Despite the challenges with Google, Stoppelman held his ground, reinforcing the idea that resilience and steadfastness can ultimately lead to success.
Strategic Decision-making: Stoppelman’s choice not to sell Yelp to Google highlights the importance of vision and long-term strategy over immediate gains.
Ethical Leadership: By working alongside his employees and standing up against what he perceived as unjust, Stoppelman exemplifies leadership that values ethics and inclusivity.
Leaving a Positive Legacy: Stoppelman’s establishment of the Yelp Foundation shows that success is not just about personal gain but also about giving back to the community and making a lasting impact.
Keeping Personal Life Private: While being a public figure, Stoppelman maintains a private personal life, emphasizing the importance of boundaries and separating one’s professional persona from private life.
Continuous Evolution: From his early aspirations of becoming a video game developer to becoming the CEO of a multi-billion dollar company, Stoppelman’s journey exemplifies the idea that personal and professional evolution is constant and necessary for long-term success.

In conclusion, Jeremy Stoppelman’s life story offers a rich tapestry of lessons about perseverance, adaptability, ethical leadership, and the power of vision.

Facts

Jeremy Stoppelman is the co-founder and CEO of Yelp.
He reviews on Yelp under the name “Big Papa.”
Stoppelman was born on November 10, 1977, in Arlington, Virginia.
His parents are John and Lyn Stoppelman, who worked as a security attorney and an English teacher, respectively.
He has brothers named Andy and Michael.
He was raised in a traditional Jewish-American home.
Jeremy attended Langley High School and a Reform temple.
By the age of 14, he owned stocks and had an interest in computer programming.
He aspired to be a video game developer.
In high school, he took programming classes and learned the Turbo Pascal Programming system.
Stoppelman graduated from Urbana-Champaign University of Illinois in 1999 with a computer engineering bachelor’s degree.
His first job out of university was at @Home Network.
He then worked at X.com, which later became PayPal.
While at PayPal, he met Max Levchin and became the Engineering V.P.
In 2003, he left PayPal to attend Harvard Business School.
He did an internship at MRL Ventures after being approached by Levchin.
The idea for Yelp started in 2004 when Stoppelman struggled to find doctor recommendations.
Max Levchin provided the initial funding of $1 million for Yelp.
Yelp was released in 2010.
Yelp formed a partnership with Google in 2005.
There was a content dispute between Yelp and Google, leading Yelp to pull out of Europe in 2016.
Yelp went public in 2020 with an initial IPO of up to $100 million.
Stoppelman owns 11% of Yelp.
In 2010, Yelp had about 30 employees and an annual revenue of around $30 million.
Stoppelman was listed as one of the “Most Creative People in Business Community” by Fast Company and one of Fortune’s “40 under 40” in 2013.
He founded the Yelp Foundation in 2011 to help local communities.
As of 2023, Yelp has a market capitalization of about $2.4 billion and more than 244 million reviews.

Questions and Answers

The information in this post answers many of the questions about Jeremy Stoppelman. In addition, this section provides a summary and any further information.

Questions and Answers

1. Who is Jeremy Stoppelman? Jeremy Stoppelman is the co-founder and CEO of Yelp.

2. Why is Jeremy Stoppelman significant in the context of online reviews? He revolutionized online reviewing through the creation of Yelp.

3. What is Jeremy Stoppelman’s alias when he reviews on Yelp? He reviews under the name of “Big Papa.”

4. Where was Jeremy Stoppelman born? He was born in Arlington, Virginia.

5. Who are Jeremy Stoppelman’s parents and what did they do? His parents are John and Lyn Stoppelman, who worked as a security attorney and English teacher, respectively.

6. How did Stoppelman show his early interest in finance and technology? From a young age, he developed a keen interest in the stock exchange and owned stocks by age 14. His interest in computer programming also began to increase around this time.

7. Which programming system did Stoppelman learn in high school? He learned how to work with the Turbo Pascal Programming system.

8. Where did Jeremy pursue his bachelor’s degree? He graduated from the Urbana-Champaign University of Illinois with a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering.

9. Which company did Jeremy work for that later became known as PayPal? He worked for X.com.

10. Who did Stoppelman meet at PayPal who later invested in Yelp? He met Max Levchin at PayPal.

11. Why did Jeremy Stoppelman and a former colleague conceptualize Yelp? During the summer of 2004, Stoppelman was searching for a local doctor and found it difficult to get recommendations, leading to the idea of Yelp.

12. Who funded the initial stages of Yelp? Max Levchin provided $1 million for the initial funding of Yelp.

13. What was the main issue between Yelp and Google? Stoppelman accused Google of content theft and using Yelp reviews to gain more users. Google also made an offer to buy Yelp, which was declined.

14. When did Yelp go public? Yelp decided to go public in 2020.

15. What challenges did Yelp face after going public? Yelp stocks began taking a hit due to multiple business owners suing reviewers for negative reviews, and they were battling Angie’s List for market dominance.

16. What are some of Stoppelman’s accolades? He was listed as one of the “Most Creative People in Business Community” by Fast Company and named by Fortune in 2013 as one of their “40 under 40.”

17. What charitable initiative did Stoppelman found? He founded the Yelp Foundation in 2011.

18. What is notable about Stoppelman’s management style at Yelp? Rather than sitting in an office, he works alongside his employees, showing significant involvement.

19. What was Yelp’s market capitalization in 2023? Yelp reached a market capitalization of about $2.4 billion in 2023.

20. What is the main takeaway from Jeremy Stoppelman’s life and career up to 2023? Jeremy Stoppelman played a significant role in helping online users access reliable recommendations through the platform Yelp.

You Can View More Biographies Like This by Clicking or Tapping Here.

Image Attribution:

commons.wikimedia.org